I have backpacked through Europe and camped on the cliff of moeher in Ireland, seen the police state of the UK and the expensive cafes in France. The
USA has so much to offer and is the best country in the world; we do have our problems but what country doesn't. Most people that criticize the USA
have never been here. I would choose the states any day and I am proud to be called an American. We will fix our issues and all of us are not sheep,
simply mislead by bad Shepard’s!

So which is it? We didn't help in WW2 as fast as we should have,
OR, we need to not help at all?
Can't have it both ways.

OP, sorry you had to listen to such stupidity.
We don't travel because one, we don't even have enough money to travel here, much less to go abroad. Two, when you first start to travel, you get so
sick. No thanks. I also am influenced by all the hate out there. You can't even go to Mexico or South Texas for that matter without worrying about
being robbed or kidnapped.
There's plenty to worry about at home these days.

How can any American have the audacity to call another country a police state !

The UK is certainly not a police state, neither is the US, for that matter, but perhaps you should get your own house in order before firing off
ill-informed criticisms of somewhere else.

Also, to claim that anywhere is ''the best country in the world'' is sentimental, illogical nonsense. There are 193 countries in the world, and to
experience most of these countries you'd have to spend many years there, so how on earth can one say that somewhere is ''the best country in the
world'' without that statement being based on ignorance ?

Is this some kind of pity post? No doubt my reply to this thread will be seen as 'Anti-American'..... *rolls eyes*

I am from Canada, and I have been all across my country except for the Northwest Territories(there 3 now!), and the east coast. I know I will see the
east coast one day. I won't hold my breath over the Territories...

I have been all over the middle to east side of the US. One of most memorable US trips was a 3 month vacation my mother took me, younger brother, and
older sister on when I was 8. It was a great trip. I can still remember going to Ripley's Believe It Or Not in Myrtle Beach. In recent years I was in
South Beach and loved it; I also wanted to hit it one last time before it's supposedly going to go down with the Madrid fault line, and if not I will
enjoy it many more times in my life.

I love traveling to different destinations in Canada and the US, however I dream of traveling to many places in the world, and I know I will one day.

When the OP of this thread write "we are just blessed to have everything we could ask for within our own borders" I would have to agree that this
statement does ring true, but for American's only. What do I mean? While a simple fact: Canadians learn about various points in American history from
elementary school right through high school. How many American's can say they have learned about Canada past, grade 4?......

American's are completely ignorant to the world around them, and I am not saying this in slander. It is the truth, and it's not your fault. You were
taught America the Great, the Red, White, and Blue, and George Washington(all without the Illuminati/Masonic ties, Federal Reserve dirt, etc of
course). It was beat into your head that America was the best country in the world, so would you want to go anywhere else?

However America isn't the greatest anymore, and hasn't been for quite some time. You would think in the light of this information American's would
now want to know more about the world their Gov lied to them about.

a quote by an American
There is always a little more toothpaste in the tube. Think about it....-Money quote by Bill Bryson

If we are what you claim ( see above ) why is it throughout history, we ( the US ) have been known for the highest entrepreneurship, manufacturing,
productivity, and even in this poor economy, we still manage to produce the 3rd highest ( according to the latest statistics ) consumer items in the
world. Doesn't seem to me, that we are lazy?

Europeans hold passports because of logistics. If the average European gets in his/her car and travels a few hours in any given possible direction -
chances are they are likely to either end up in the sea or cross the border of another nation. If I get in my car and drive for entire days on end,
I'd likely just end up in another state. No passport needed.

As far as wanting to engage other cultures... I've got friends from Canada, Mexico, and South America right here in my hometown. I also have a few
European friends. But the prospect of having to take the time and expense to cross an ocean (one or the other) just to experience these cultures first
hand? Again, logistics. An expensive and time consuming endeavor. It isn't that I am not curious or interested. It's that I am middle classed and
cannot afford to travel the world at my leisure.

One, in thinking in these terms, could equate an American visiting different states with a European going to a different European country as these
things, in reality, are very similar in terms of distance traveled/reason for traveling.

Regarding self-absorption and narcissism go... The truth of the matter is really, aren't we all? Everyone alive tends to consider their perspective
as the right or valid one.

You act like we have no links to the outside world. We have a places here called colleges where we learn too. I can't speak for all the campuses
out there, but my college didn't just teach us "America the Great" or who G. Washington was. Again, generalizing.

We don't travel because one, we don't even have enough money to travel here, much less to go abroad.

Second to convenience of traveling on our own country, this is imo the second biggest reason we don't travel, especially to Europe.

We are going to Ireland in November and it's by far the most expensive trip I have, and probably ever will, take. We expect about $2500 just for the
flight.. once there it won't be that expensive really, mostly because we have no ambition to go to the touristy areas like Dublin. For the cost of
the flight to Ireland I would have been able to spend a week in Hawaii, or a 9night cruise.

Still, it's a once in a life time thing.. once I
have kids I seriously doubt I will ever travel with them outside of the States. Canada doesn't count.

You act like we have no links to the outside world. We have a places here called colleges where we learn too. I can't speak for all the campuses
out there, but my college didn't just teach us "America the Great" or who G. Washington was. Again, generalizing.

But it's a generalization that's true. How many people become World Historian's, or go to college in the US or University and take World History
classes would you say? Not many...

Now how many people take marketing, and business would you say? A hell of a lot.... No history class required, aside from American history of
course....

Traditionally, comparisons between European & North American passport status have been apples & oranges. Europeans have required passports to cross
borders long before the European Union was formed. Conversely, until about 10 years ago, Americans could freely travel to & from Canada & Mexico as
well as most of the vacation islands without needing any passport and, in many cases, it was the requirements of the destination country, NOT the USA,
that lead to any international travel passport requirements. All you needed to re-enter the USA as a citizen was a driver's license. (Or in the
case of the US/Mexico border, a farmer's tan and mastery of the English language.) As a result of these recent changes, I don't think direct
comparisons based on passport holding percentages are valid for at least a couple more decades.

"
So which is it? We didn't help in WW2 as fast as we should have,
OR, we need to not help at all?
Can't have it both ways. " quote.

Can't have it both ways but apparently Americans can, especially when it comes to warping accepted history.
You didn't help in WW2 out the goodness of your soul or to help friends, you were forced to join in when Germany declared war on you! When you were
needed you never turned up until you had to and since then you just can't keep your noses out of other peoples business and cause wars and kill
millions in the process. I'm sure if you now asked the Iraqi people, in retrospect, whether they would have liked your help I bet they would have
rather you stayed at home to enjoy your Disneyland culture Hollywood history. Come to think of it, as a Brit, I wished you had as well as when you
weren't content in blowing the sh*t out of Iraqi's you usually turned your guns on us Brits who were there to help you... Friendly fire... I
sometime listen to some of the nonsense spoken by Americans and can't help but wonder whether the word "friendly" is truly justified?

And for all of you American-bashers from the UK , go outside and stand on any corner and wave to the man watching you from all the cameras . And you
can certainly keep your stupid and idiotic television programs . I refuse to watch anything from your pathetic excuse for broadcasting .

I'll tell you what , if all of you guys will stay inside , I will come to visit .

And if we are so stupid over here , why is our country made up of people from all over the world , a lot of whom even come here illegally ?

"Hey , I've a bloody good idea mate , let's go to America and live amongst a bunch of idiots !"

No , it's you people who are stupid and ignorant .

You have nothing we don't have . You've done nothing we haven't done better .

You guys can't even possess firearms .

This tells me that you also don't go hunting much , do you ? None of you know what it's like to fill a
freezer with meat that you shot , killed and dressed yourself . What a bunch of pantywaists .

I could go on all day , but suffice it to say , I'm happy with my country , and have traveled it extensively , and I wouldn't trade it for anything
you have to offer .

So keep your snobbish attitudes over there , we don't need you or want you .

But be sure to give us a call next time someone is trying to bully you around . We'll come over and kick their ass for you and make them leave you
alone .

Europeans hold passports because of logistics. If the average European gets in his/her car and travels a few hours in any given possible direction -
chances are they are likely to either end up in the sea or cross the border of another nation. If I get in my car and drive for entire days on end,
I'd likely just end up in another state. No passport needed.

Not a border checkpoint to be seen acctually. I've had roadtrips for weeks in Europe without using my passport, but I need it for air travel and for
my trips to Asia.

And to answer the OP, I've met loads of Americans on my travels and some of them are stupid, lazy, ignorant and so on, but so are some of the other
nationals I've met. So I guess that is more of a human trait rather than a national one.

But to say that you've got everything in the US so there is no need to travel is kind of re-enforcing the stereotype.

Yeah, BTW... Don't remember who said there would be no Europe was it not for the US... What about Russia? Think we would acctually have to be sending
a fancier thank you card to those guys..

You "brits" as you put it, tried to kill every single person here during our war, so don't be so smug. We're all guilty of something.
We fought to leave that country, why would we even want to go back.

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